Juvenile Southern Appalachian Brook Trout swim from a dip net into the cold, clear waters of Little Stoney Creek near Elizabethton, Tn. During a recent release, representatives from the Tennessee Aquarium, Trout Unlimited, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and the U.S. Forest Service released more than 385 of these baby fish — Tennessee’s only native trout species — into this mountain stream.

- photo by Casey Phillips/Tennessee Aquarium

Winding under a thick canopy of trees and down a stairstep of boulder-strewn waterfalls, Little Stoney Creek’s descent through Cherokee National Forest is the idyllic picture of Appalachian Mountain splendor.

With its dappled pockets of sunlight and shade and frigid water, this pristine stream is an ideal habitat for Southern Appalachian Brook Trout. Also lovingly referred to by scientists and sport fishers alike as “Brookies,” this region-specific strain of Brook Trout is the Southeast’s only native trout species.

Their progress through the rushing stream is made all the more difficult thanks to the shifting weight of the thick plastic bags they’re carrying.

These awkward burdens are filled with water and — most importantly — dozens of two-inch long juvenile Brookies bound for reintroduction into the creek after months of attentive care at the Aquarium’s freshwater science center in Chattanooga.

Ms. Harris and Ms. Robinson, along with two other reintroduction assistants, Avery Millard and Anna Quintrell, have traveled hundreds of miles to reach this beautiful, remote waterway. Along with representatives from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, the U.S. Forest Service and members of Trout Unlimited, the biologists have convened to return 389 juvenile Brookies to waters that are their ancestral birthright.

“You know, today is the day when we really get to see what it's all about,” Ms. Harris says, smiling. “It’s a great day; it’s the best day.”

Despite the treacherous footing, she and Ms. Robinson are all smiles as they slosh along, pausing occasionally by patches of comparatively still water. Dipping into their bags, they deposit nets full of baby trout into these calmer pools. As they watch the tiny fish swim away, their expressions mix equal measures of pride and joy.

“We work really hard back at the facility and spend a lot of time working with these animals,” Ms. Harris says. “To be able to come out here and watch them swim away into the water, to fulfill the ecological role that they were meant to, that's what makes it all worth it. That just really brings the purpose home for me.”

Thanks to clear-cutting in the 1900s and the introduction of larger, competing, non-native species like Rainbow Trout and Brown Trout, the ruby-bellied and golden-speckled Southern Appalachian Brook Trout now occupies less than 15 percent of its historical range.

Since the 1980s, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency has been working to restore the Southern Appalachian Brook Trout to cold water streams like Little Stoney Creek that flow through the species’ native range. In 2012, the Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute joined this effort, helping to raise the juveniles in propagation facilities at its freshwater science center near downtown Chattanooga.

Each fall, Conservation Institute biologists collect eggs spawned by a broodstock of wild-caught adult Southern Appalachian Brook Trout. During a month-long incubation, scientists tend to these eggs until the young emerge, still attached to large, nutrient-rich yolk sacs. After another month, these “sac fry” become free-swimming and are able to eat.

Biologists care for these juveniles throughout the winter and early spring until the diminutive fish are about two inches long, just large and hardy enough to survive in the wild. Including the current batch of juveniles, the Aquarium has raised and reintroduced about 3,500 Southern Appalachian Brook Trout to Little Stoney Creek and other waterways.

This effort is fully financed by the Appalachian Chapter of Trout Unlimited through funds raised by the sale of special vanity license plates adorned with the Southern Appalachian Brook Trout. In 2018, Trout Unlimited donated $11,170, the organization’s largest single grant since it began financial support of the program in 2014.

“The Tennessee Aquarium is a natural partner for us,” says Steve Fry, the chapter’s president. “The mission of Trout Unlimited is to conserve, protect and restore North America’s coldwater fisheries and their watersheds. This project allows us to coordinate efforts with Trout Unlimited Chapters in northeast Tennessee to bring back an iconic species.”

At Little Stoney Creek, representatives from the Overmountain Chapter of Trout Unlimited are wading alongside Ms. Harris and Ms. Robinson, enthusiastically accepting offers from the biologists to release some of the fry. To them, Brookies aren’t just another fish to try and catch; they’re a part of the region’s natural heritage.

“The Southern Appalachian strain of Brook Trout is the only trout species in this area that God put here himself,” says Overmountain Trout Unlimited Chapter President Ryan Turgeon. “A lot of different organizations came together to raise funds, and a lot of grant money and hours were put in to get something like this done.

“It’s great to see everyone come together — different age groups, different diversities — to return these fish to the stream. It was really great to see that.”

To learn more about the Tennessee Aquarium’s work to restore the Southern Appalachian Brook Trout, visit tnaqua.org/protecting-animals/southern-appalachian-brook-trout. For more information about the Appalachian Chapter of Trout Unlimited, visit appalachiantu.org.

September 13, 2019

Joint Enforcement Efforts Stop Bear Poaching

September 12, 2019

Tennessee Scholastic Cay Target Program To Hold Recruitment Day On Sept. 28

September 12, 2019

Bear Poachers Banned From Hunting And Banned From The Cherokee National Forest

Monroe County Wildlife officers along with USDA Forest Service Officers from the Cherokee National Forest have closed a bear baiting case. The Forest Service and TWRA work closely when dealing ... (click for more)

Tennessee Scholastic Clay Target Program invites 4th through 12th graders from all corners of the state to come explore the shotgun shooting sports and try hitting a few targets on their own. ... (click for more)

Monroe County Wildlife officers along with USDA Forest Service Officers from the Cherokee National Forest have closed a bear baiting case. The Forest Service and TWRA work closely when dealing with issues on the South Cherokee Wildlife Management Area, which is part of the Cherokee National Forest.
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Tennessee Scholastic Clay Target Program invites 4th through 12th graders from all corners of the state to come explore the shotgun shooting sports and try hitting a few targets on their own.
The free Recruitment Day is on Sept. 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (local time) and will introduce youth to teams in their area. To find a location near you visit tnwf.org/explore .
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Tennessee American Water successfully completed repairs to the impacted water main around 4 a.m. and has begun the process of restoring the system.
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Darrell Hill, 20, was shot and killed on Dahlia Street Thursday afternoon. Three teenagers have been arrested for the homicide.
At approximately 12:14 p.m., Chattanooga Police responded to a p erson shot call in the 3900 block of Dahlia Street.
Upon arrival, police located the victim lying on the ground with an apparent gunshot wound. Hamilton County EMS pronounced him ... (click for more)

Our nation was attacked on Sept. 11, 2001 and our world changed. Muslim terrorists called al-Qaeda, with training camps all around the world were responsible for the death of the more than 3,000 victims. This is an enemy unlike any we have ever faced. There are multiple countries, multiple fronts and multiple threats.
This enemy is committed to the absolute destruction of the ... (click for more)

It was in the late ‘80s, not long before Auburn and Tennessee would play early in the year to set the early pace in the annual SEC race. I needed Auburn football coach Pat Dye to help me understand the early-season strategy of what the loser of the game between Tennessee and Auburn would need to do to stay viable in the home stretch of SEC play that year; it affected bowl invitations ... (click for more)